Is Garrison Keillor Still Relevant?

Tell us what you think.  Is America's best story teller still relevant?

Garrison Keillor is selling his home outside of River Falls, Wisc., the small town where I live.  And he will be retiring soon.  He is a master of the values, attitudes, morality of the small town, where agriculture might economically be no longer dominant but the agrarian spirit and values are still dominant.  His powers of observation, and of course humor, are wonderfully insightful.

But while Keillor accurately compares and contrasts the agrarian values of Lake Wobegon with the industrial suburban values and lifestyle of the last half of the 20th century, he seems to miss totally the ability to compare and contrast the new Internet values and lifestyle of this century.

This week we explore Garrison Keillor and Lake Wobegon, asking if he is still relevant. Your thoughts? 

 

Comments

[Rip]

I don't know that he was ever "relevant" at least not in the sense that I understand the word. He created a fantasy of small town life that many Boomer suburbanauts imagined represented our values at their best. I have listened for years and like the idea of this serialized community and the gentle humor it shows. But how many of those teary-eyed NPR listeners went on to introduce themselves to their new neighbors or bring them a casserole or cake. Enjoyable, yes, relevant, I doubt it.